Peppers - Organic

Habanero Pepper Conventional & Organic

PP681

Capsicum chinense 90-100 days. Habanero is about as hot as they come. When added to salsa or dip, this little pepper will make your taste buds shout! Compact 12 inch plants yield thin walled peppers that start out dark green and ripen to a pink-orange color. Start indoors in March. Seed is slow to germinate and should be kept at 80-85°F. Well worth the extra time.Also available as a plant.

Capsicum annuum: Our wide array of fabulous peppers, both sweet and hot, offers one of the richest sources of nutrients in the plant kingdom. Hot peppers contain capsaicin, which revs up your metabolism and reduces general inflammation in the body.

CULTURE: Using a sterile seedling mix, sow seeds 8-10 weeks before your last frost. Germination rates may be erratic if soil is allowed to dry out. Once the seedlings have 2 sets of true leaves, they can be up-potted to a 3-inch pot and grown at 70°F during the day and 55°F during the night. Make sure the seedlings have plenty of light, and give them a liquid fertilizer solution, such as Earth Juice Grow. Remember, strong transplants perform best and will give the highest yields. Peppers grow very slowly, or not at all, in cold soils, so resist the temptation to plant outside too early. The timing for transplanting is perfect when the plants are just starting to become root bound and the garden soil has warmed to at least 65°F. Transplant peppers outside 2-3 weeks after tomatoes in rows 24-30 inches apart. The bed should be rich and well-supplied with nitrogen. Adding fertilizers such as blood meal, fish bone meal, or composted chicken manure will help the plants make vigorous, vegetative growth for their first 6 weeks in the garden. At planting time, use about 1/2 cup of a high-nitrogen fertilizer side dressed below and around each plant; and a 1/2 cup of complete fertilizer when they begin to flower. As an option, consider using Black or Green Mulch in the pepper bed. Also covering the plant with Reemay or Gro-Therm can be especially helpful in early plantings. Be mindful of high daytime temperatures as the season progresses, as even heat loving vegetables such as peppers can get too hot. Remember to keep peppers uniformly moist throughout the growing season and you'll be enjoying the explosion of color, flavor, and heat that peppers offer.INSECTS/DISEASES: Most insects and diseases that attack tomatoes will also affect peppers. Pyrethrin or a floating row cover will effectively eliminate insect pests if used early in the season. Whenever possible use disease-resistant varieties and proper sanitation in the garden. If you have experienced disease problems with either tomatoes or peppers, don't plant in the same spot for 2 seasons and rotate with a green manure crop.HARVEST: Fruit set after late August usually will not fully develop or ripen. Peppers are generally fully ripe and have the most flavor and vitamins when they turn red, yellow, purple, or orange. They can be kept in good condition for at least 40 days at 32°F and 95% relative humidity.SEED SPECS: Minimum germination standard: 70%. Usual seed life: 2 years. Days to maturity are calculated from date of transplanting and reflect edible green fruit.